Many of the nation's best engineering schools offer direct admit policies, where incoming freshmen begin their undergraduate experience as a member of the university's College of Engineering. However, each year, there are many bright applicants who are admitted to their dream school, but are denied direct admission into their desired engineering program. These students are faced with a dilemma: accept a spot in the broader university with the goal of earning their way into engineering via transfer, or commit to a different school where studying engineering is guaranteed. Another subset of applicants are looking for a "backdoor" way into a stellar engineering program. They aim to apply to the general university, excel in the classroom as an underclassman, and then transfer in the school's COE.